Why not both? I believe that I have no conscious free will. I do not think I have ever consciously “made a decision” in my life. They all ultimately arise from unconscious processes. My brain, at least, seems to be a complex system mapping certain sensory and biological inputs to outputs. Just because of that, does not mean I don’t have agency. In contrast, that is my agency.
I was lucky enough that my parents instilled senses of responsibility and hard work into my brain. In that way, I suspect, the transformation in my unconscious mind that maps those inputs to outputs considers things such as responsibility. It automatically (from the perspective of my conscious mind) prefers me being accountable, me doubling down in the face of challenges, etc.
I agree with you that I’m sick of seeing “it’s always someone else’s fault”, the “I can’t do it because I don’t have X”, etc. crowd. None of us can control everything, but we all ought to control what we can in an effort to improve our lives. How do we folk who are imbued with responsibility and a strong work ethic transfer that from our brains, and use that to transform the cognitive processes of others’ brains? I assume this is what happens when raising a child, and it’s easier because their brain is more impressionable. But it is certainly possible in adults, too. Emotionally moving books and stories, and ordinary people we meet can change our perspectives on life. Experiences can change our lives. The crowd we keep can influence us in certain directions. I suspect that transfer is the missing link that would allow someone who thinks “it’s all luck” to become someone who recognizes that they have agency in absence of luck.
I was lucky enough that my parents instilled senses of responsibility and hard work into my brain. In that way, I suspect, the transformation in my unconscious mind that maps those inputs to outputs considers things such as responsibility. It automatically (from the perspective of my conscious mind) prefers me being accountable, me doubling down in the face of challenges, etc.
I agree with you that I’m sick of seeing “it’s always someone else’s fault”, the “I can’t do it because I don’t have X”, etc. crowd. None of us can control everything, but we all ought to control what we can in an effort to improve our lives. How do we folk who are imbued with responsibility and a strong work ethic transfer that from our brains, and use that to transform the cognitive processes of others’ brains? I assume this is what happens when raising a child, and it’s easier because their brain is more impressionable. But it is certainly possible in adults, too. Emotionally moving books and stories, and ordinary people we meet can change our perspectives on life. Experiences can change our lives. The crowd we keep can influence us in certain directions. I suspect that transfer is the missing link that would allow someone who thinks “it’s all luck” to become someone who recognizes that they have agency in absence of luck.